


When You Have To Be

by DarkAngelGirl13



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Related, Canon Universe, Comfort, Episode Tag, Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt TK Strand, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Love, M/M, Paramedic TK Strand, Protective TK Strand, Season/Series 02, Soft Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, TK Strand Needs A Hug, Tarlos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 08:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30069240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelGirl13/pseuds/DarkAngelGirl13
Summary: TK and Carlos talk and he wants his boyfriend to know that he knows he can be tough when he needs to be; like the day before.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & TK Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 9
Kudos: 152





	When You Have To Be

**Author's Note:**

> I Own Nothing
> 
> AN: I thought this was needed after the winter finale. I loved that episode so much, best of the season, possibly the series. I seriously did feel so empty after that episode because it broke my heart, put back together and melted it so much. I still can hear TK saying 'Hi baby' and hugging Carlos. The way his voice sounded.... my heart melted in that moment. April 19th so far off. Going try to post story each Monday til then.

Carlos was kind of happy that TK had said he wanted to come back to his place instead of his dad's. He'd actually said I'm going home, which Owen had thought meant his house, but TK had said no, home means Carlos, that's my home. He'd already heard his speech two days back about being incredible and showing TK how to love again. He hadn't expected him to refer to him as home. Granted, he thought of TK as home too. It had been that way for a while for him. Home was where your heart was as the saying went, his heart belonged to TK. 

He'd been watching his boyfriend sleep for the last hour. They had made him stay awake most of the night at the hospital since he'd had a concussion. He wasn't supposed to stay, but Carlos might have used being a cop to stay. Thank god he was still a cop after the day before too. His captain had reinstated him after he all did solve the case. He might have let the guy with the bomb go, but he actually solved the whole thing. Weird how it happened, but at least he was cleared. It gave him some relief to know he wasn't too 'soft'. He did smile at the fact that his dad had known TK was his boyfriend. He should have known his parents would have figured it out. The way TK introduced his self and the way he'd said finally get to meet you. 

It didn't matter on keeping TK from his parents now. They were supposed to have dinner Sunday so he'd bring TK with him. He hadn't thought his dad would be so okay with it. He'd actually said he was proud of him. It had been so long since he'd heard those words from his dad. He'd followed his gut and it got him more than he thought it would. He almost lost his job, but he was there when TK needed him. He still remembered how tight his boyfriend held him. The words 'Hi baby.' TK had sounded more scared, happy, and relieved all at once than he'd ever felt since they met. He'd held him just as tightly back letting him know he was safe. He'd found him and even if Owen had pulled the trigger on the guy, he'd been the one that figured out where they were at.

Carlos moved his hand over TK's jaw not wanting to wake him, but he needed to touch him. He needed to know he was really there right now. He'd needed fifteen stitches to close up the wound. He hadn't been surprised at all when he didn't want pain meds. He knew TK wouldn't ask for them even if his mom had said she couldn't believe he was doing it without them. Of course the man he loved wouldn't. They knew each other better than most did. He was sure that TK knew him better than he knew his own self at times. TK had told him in the ambulance he knew he'd save him, he'd left the sobriety chip for him. When he'd dropped it in the parking lot he was who TK thought of. TK was always first on his mind too. He made sure he did his job right so he could go back home to him at the end of every shift. 

He hadn't let Owen know how scared he was even after he figured out where they were. He knew TK, knew he wouldn't just sit by and do nothing. The gash on his head proved that he was always trying to save people. After he had a rough shift and didn't want to talk, TK always made him feel better. Even if it was lying in his man's arms watching mindless TV. With TK holding him it felt like the world wasn't going to end. It felt like the world wasn't going crazy outside of their living room. He did the same for TK and he never wanted to stop. He wasn't sure if he'd been more scared the night before or when TK had been shot. It was probably now because back then he wasn't even sure what they were. He wouldn't have been able to tell TK back then, but now he could. Now, he would have been losing so much if TK hadn't made it back to him. 

He shut his eyes against the tears threatening to come. It was all catching up to him now how it could have gone. He could have lost TK and he wouldn't have cared about his job or anything. TK was his home and his heart was dug so deep into his Tiger's heart he knew he'd never get it back. He didn't want to anyway because he'd finally found his own incredible man that taught him how to be loved. He wasn't talking opening his heart up again, he meant for the first time. He hadn't even thought about it until TK's speech two nights ago. He bit down on his bottom lip not wanting TK to hear him when he almost let the sob out. He didn't want TK to die, he'd been terrified of finding him dead. 

He didn't realize that until now when his boyfriend was lying so still beside him. The rise and fall of his chest was the only thing he could see. He had seen what could happen before with people like the ones that took the 126. He never wanted to get the call that TK wasn't coming home. He knew it was dangerous being a firefighter, but hadn't thought about it being dangerous with him being a paramedic. He'd thought TK was safer there even if he loved him in his fire fighting gear too. He'd been the one that encouraged him to go for the medic position. It had nothing to do with safety though, but that had been a plus. 

"Stop thinking the worst, baby." TK said in a low voice thick with sleep. "I'd never stop fighting to get back to you." He added before rolling over on his back. 

"Guess I am too soft." Carlos sighed lowering his head.

"The hell you are. You're tough as hell when you have to be. I see it every single day. I've seen you out there doing your job. When it counts that's when you're tough. I'm seriously going to have to kick your dad's ass for making you ever doubt that. Even if he likes me, we're so having words." TK said once Carlos looked up at him. "I never once doubted that you'd come for me, for us. That's the man I fell in love with. Now do I need to keep going or have you stopped doubting yourself?" He asked. 

"I love you too, so much so there is no way I'm letting you fight my dad. He'd kick your ass." Carlos said giving TK a smile.

"My dad's not the only one that knows how to shoot. Granted I don't own a gun, but I know how to shoot one." TK grinned. "Thanks though, if I haven't told you enough. I didn't know that Tommy and Nancy had a back up plan, mine failed. Was going pull the fire alarm." He hadn't told Carlos how he got hit in the head.

Carlos shook his head resting his forehead against TK's. "What am I going to do with you?" He asked, but he already knew the answer. "I'm sorry about your parents and your brother. They told me when I went looking for you there. How are you doing? They thought..."

"I relapsed, yeah Dad told me when my mom left the room. I was shutting down, but I didn't think about finding pills or a bar. I wanted you, but you were on shift and I had a shift. I wasn't lying when I said I found out not everyone should be together. I wish they could make it work, that it would their baby. I'm not going to spin out though, I got someone to keep me from doing that. I have a real reason not to go back to where I was last year or before." TK said bringing his hand up to Carlos' face. "I guess we're both tougher than our parents think of us at times." 

"I didn't think the worst even when your mom started talking about a bar or alley. I didn't think they'd believe me if I said I knew you better than they did." Carlos replied moving his thumb over TK's jaw looking into his eyes. "We tell each other everything, we don't got secrets, and I'd never lie to you. I'm not going to keep something from you even if I don't think you'll like it." 

He could never bring his self to hurt TK like that, again. He knew how much secrets hurt him, they talked a lot over the last year. It was one reason he'd tried shielding him from his parents, which now there wasn't a reason to. However, he had hurt him when he'd tried protecting him.

"Tough as nails and sweet as honey. You're the perfect mix in my book. Every time it gets tough or I feel like I'm falling, I think of you. It's what keeps me from spinning out. Never want to let you down." TK responded closing the last inch or so between them. 

Carlos didn't deny him what he wanted for a second. Kissing each other with all the love they had for the other. It wasn't fast, it was slow and gentle exploring each other's mouth. They knew what the other liked and used it to their advantage. The kiss didn't break until they were forced to breathe again. Even then they didn't want to stop. 

"How about we get some sleep then we can be lazy else where in the house? Neither one of us slept last night." Carlos offered. "I'll set the alarm to make sure we make it to your dad's before your mom leaves." He added.

"I just want to stay here with you. I don't want to see her leave. I already told her I wasn't going to. I love them both, I just don't want to watch her leave a second time." TK said shifting so he had his head resting on Carlos' chest. "Just need you and later you can make me forget that my hearts broken again." He wasn't going to find any substances this time. He just needed to hold onto his man.

"Okay, I got you. Whatever you need I'm always here." Carlos said holding onto TK as tight as he dared. "I love you." He added feeling TK's body shake against him. 

He knew it was going to come when he'd found out TK's parents weren't staying together. He moved his hand over TK's back letting him get the pain and heart break out. He didn't know what it was like since his parents were together and happy. It didn't mean he didn't know what felt like to be heart broken because of your parents. They either had a way of surprising you or letting you down in the best and worst ways possible. 

~THE END~

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reviews and kudos in advance.


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